Cebu Island Stay: Wako Daiko Lesson Bon Odori Project

Here on Cebu Island, where I am currently staying, a large-scale Bon Odori festival is scheduled to be held in May. This time, I was able to witness the practice session for a special project that will make the festival even more exciting.

A Japanese drum (Wadaiko) performance is planned as part of the day's entertainment, and 10 members of the "Wako Daiko" group from Japan will travel here to showcase a spectacular performance. Of course, there is no doubt that the professional performance will get the crowd very excited.

However, what I focused on this time is another participatory program where local students who have never touched a drum before are taking on a challenge from scratch.

Is their Latin blood stirring?

This time, I accompanied Mr. Tanaka, the president of the Wako Daiko Association, and witnessed the moment when students from Lapu-Lapu Cebu International College (LCIC) played the drums for the first time.

They were complete beginners, learning everything from how to hold the drumsticks. But these are Filipino students. I witnessed firsthand how the cheerful Latin blood flowing through them and their outstanding sense of rhythm were put to use, and how they grasped the techniques in no time.

It was even moving to see how the sounds, which were timid at first, changed into something powerful and rhythmic in the blink of an eye.

The unique appeal of Wadaiko that is different from drums

Actually, I am also a beginner who has just started drum lessons, but thanks to a connection, I was allowed to play the Wadaiko a little bit this time. What I felt intensely there was the big difference from the drum set I usually practice on.

The biggest surprise is that they don't rely on sheet music. They chant the rhythm with their mouths, like "don-doko, don-doko, don-doko, ton-ton," and master the rhythm with their whole bodies.

While a drum set is played by one person, Wadaiko involves multiple people (seven students in this case) lining up, calling out in unison, and breathing together to create a single piece of music.

I realized that the greatest thrill of Wadaiko is not just individual technique, but the process of aligning one's "ki" (spirit) with one's companions.

Even the Apple Watch warns! High volume that shakes the air

And above all, I was overwhelmed by the tremendous sound pressure.

As the practice heated up, the Apple Watch on my wrist sounded an alert saying, "Noise level is dangerous."

I had seen this warning at live venues before, but it was my first time experiencing it during a live instrument practice. The deep bass of the Wadaiko, which shakes the air and resonates directly in your stomach, was truly filled with energy that shakes the soul.

A grand challenge for the main event in May

The schedule for this project is also very challenging and surprising.

The direct lessons from the instructor are for these two days. After that, the students will practice on their own for a full month, the instructor will travel here again in April to give more lessons, and then they will face the main event in May.

I am looking forward to the performance, seeing the students pour their passion into a traditional Japanese instrument, transcending language barriers and cultural differences.

Furthermore, these drums were donated by Mr. Raiko Fujioka, the CEO of QQ English. Through this great connection of support and by borrowing space at LCIC for storage, we are providing new possibilities for university students.

Under the sky of foreign Cebu, I wonder how the Japanese Taiko drums will resonate. I would love to see the fruits of their hard work.

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